Current Projects

CURRENT PROJECTS
The Waterworks Museum prides itself that the museum never stands still and that there is always something new for visitors to see. Living up to this mantra is a real challenge, but one which the Museum’s trustees and volunteers welcomingly embrace. Currently, we have two engineering projects as work in progress, which will create new displays at the Museum by 2020.

SISSONS ENGINES
A sub-theme of the Museum’s Collection Policy is to conserve rare engines and pumps that were used in an educational context to train the engineers and apprentices who may have worked in the water or an associated industry. The collection includes several engines of this kind.

In 2017, we were fortunate to receive a donation of a cross compound slow speed instructional engine set used by engineering firm W Sisson & Company of Gloucester to train its apprentices. The donor, Mr Peter Curtis from Denbury in Devon, was one of these apprentices.

Restoration of the Sissons Engines is ongoing and, when complete, they will form a new exhibit at the rear of the Museum, adjacent to the Engineers’ Workshop. Currently, both engines are mechanically sound and new belts are to be manufactured to drive the governor and oil pumps. Work will then start on ground works and a foundation for the engines.

BROCKHAMPTON PUMP SET
The Museum’s collection contains few artefacts from the early decades of the 20th century, so the Trustees were delighted when they had opportunity to acquire a pump of this era with strong local provenance.

The triple throw pump acquired was used to supply water to the Brockhampton Estate near Bromyard before there was a public water supply. Manufactured by Frank Pearn & Co of Girton, Manchester, this pump is a rare example of its kind.

The restoration of the pump set, which was in poor condition and had to be completely stripped down, is work in progress. See page 2 of WaterWords Spring 2018 for an explanation of the repairs that were required.

When refurbishment is finished, the pump set will be displayed covered in the courtyard along with a pressure filter, which is also from the Brockhampton Estate. Trustees were unable to acquire the original engine, so the pump will be powered by a Lister CS diesel engine or another engine of similar vintage.

Trustees hope to add to this display a 20th century instrumentation panel, but this has yet to be sourced.

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This website is owned and published by The Waterworks Museum - Hereford, a charitable trust, a company limited by guarantee and a registered museum whose registered company address is Waterworks Museum - Hereford Ltd, The Hereford Waterworks, Broomy Hill, Hereford, HR4 0LJ.